Shuttle Hawk

[plugs]

Hi everyone,
New here and I'm getting my boat rigged to take on Merwin. Have a question do any or have any of you tryed the Shasta Tackle shuttle hawk on your rigger cables. Just wondering as the downriggers I just got are manuals.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

the SH allows one to fish 2 poles easily on 1 DR.
4 poles out can be a chinese fire drill on smaller boats with a big fish that runs

the SH also works well for manual DRs, saves cranking up the ball each time. SH will climb back up after the line release is tripped.

I like to fish a second lure for kokes on the same line, a slider that drops down a DR line already out. I've even had doubles on the contraption. fighting the first hit and the fish dragging the second lure around induces another hit, wild
Polish circle jerk trying to net the 2 by myself

 

[sawtooth]

The shuttle hawk works great. I have one electric and one manual downrigger and I use my shuttle hawk on the manual all the time. I am not a big fan of the release that comes with the shuttle hawk. I changed it out for a small yellow "Off Shore" planner board release and it works great. The only time the shuttle hawk doesn't work real well is in weedy lakes or in the ocean where sea weed/kelp gets on your downrigger cable and stops the shuttlehawk from going up or down. You can also use it as a stacker release by placing an extra release clip on your cable. That way you don't have to pull up the downrigger if you get your fish on the top release.

 

[plugs]

Thanks Guys, We sold our sled last year since I had retired from guiding it was just to much boat for just the wife and I and I let my riggers go with it. I'll miss those electric Cannons but now we are just using our drift boat for now and went with a pair of manuals till we decide to get a smaller boat than the 22 fter we had. The Shuttle Hawks seames like a good idea.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

packed around a couple SH's unopened for several years in my tackle bags.

decided to give it a try one day when I forgot to hook up the second rod to the DR before the drop.
rigged it up, easy as eating fresh pie and ice cream.
down she went, few minutes later fish on and in the boat.
looked over at the DR line, there was the SH waiting for me grinning on top of the water.

Slickest damn thing I ever used.
like the guys said, just put a line stop on where ever the SH and 2nd rigging will not tangle with the bottom ball gear.

i like about 5 ft of spread vert. the SH seems to function better with the lighter releases but when the water warms up and the kokes go on the kill mode hit, it all works.

 

[Steelie Steve]

I use them with my manual DR's all the time. Definitely replace the clips that came with them. I run th SH stop about 3' above my ball and it seems to work pretty well. The only thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to run a rubber band around the SH (front to back after it is placed on the cable) as a stop to keep it from "falling" off the DR cable. I've seen one disappear from the cable by pulling on it from just the right angle... They sink pretty fast to the depths.

 

[plugs]

Thanks Steve. That's a good tip to know

 

[plugs]

Shuttle hawks ordered and on thier way LOL
Thanks for the info guys.
Rod

 

[Kokecatcher]

I have a question. If you get a hit at say 50 ft. going 1-1.2 mph about how long does it take the hawk to surface.

 

[plugs]

Don't have a clue for that depth. This was my 1st time using them and at 20 ft when I was in a area were there wasn't a buch of junk in the water wrapped around the rigger cable it was on the surface before I could get the fish in the net setting there smiling back at me.
Rod

 

[Steelie Steve]

I've never timed it to see... It doesn't take long though. Like said before, if your line releases from it, it will be there waiting for you when you get to it.